The Faculty of Homeopathy Newsletter February 2018 Anger and protests at RCVS statement on CAM ets, farmers and pet owners have condemnation of the RCVS. “This reacted with anger after the Royal statement has been imposed without VCollege of Veterinary Surgeons’ consultation with clients or any of the (RCVS) ruling council agreed a new vets who use these treatments. We position statement on complementary are deeply disappointed that the RCVS therapies which they say is tantamount would seek to undermine its own to a ban on the use of homeopathy in members whose independence and the treatment of sick animals. livelihoods are at stake.” Although the statement is designed Supporters of veterinary to cover all complementary therapies, homeopathy have also been making it singles out homeopathy. It makes the their views known. An online petition questionable claim the therapy “exists received over 15,000 signatures. without a recognised body of evidence” And in January a group of about 50 and to protect animal welfare it should protestors, many accompanied by their only be used alongside conventional animals, braved gale force winds and treatments and not as an alternative. pouring rain to march on the RCVS’s Furthermore, many homeopathic Vet Geoff Johnson protesting headquarters in London to deliver the veterinary surgeons believe the in London petition. They were met by Professor statement implies a degree of criticism Peter May, the RCVS’s president, who of their clinical competence, in that by used in veterinary practice, as well attempted to clarify the royal college’s using homeopathy they are causing as human medicine, is inconclusive. position. animals to suffer. When challenged If the RCVS were to apply the same He said: “We continue to on this, the RCVS conceded they evidential criteria used for homeopathy recognise that homeopathy and other have no evidence that vets using to all treatments, there would be far complementary therapies are popular complementary therapies, including fewer clinical options available to the amongst some animal owners and homeopathy, are causing harm to profession.” certain members of the veterinary animals. He went on: “There is growing profession, as indicated by today’s Responding to the statement interest in homeopathy from animal delegation, but it is worth reiterating Peter Gregory, the Faculty’s veterinary owners, as they see conventional that the RCVS council statement does dean, said the statement “has serious medicines regularly failing or producing not ban their use.” implications for the whole profession adverse side-effects. This is especially But campaigners remain and the future of veterinary medicine”. true in livestock farming, where there is unconvinced and are considering a “Contrary to the RCVS position, a drive to reduce the dependence on larger demonstration later in the year. there is quality evidence supporting antibiotics in light of concerns about Mr Gregory said: “To have this position the efficacy of the therapy,” he said. antimicrobial resistance.” statement rescinded will take a lot of “The evidence is inconclusive – in Chris Day, president of the British work, but our resolve is strong and the same way the evidence base Association of Homeopathic Veterinary public support for homeopathic vets for many conventional medicines Surgeons, was equally forceful in his has been overwhelming.” EDITORIAL omeopathy has survived many metaphysical speculation. Homeopathy attacks in its 212-year history, Dr Peter Fisher was born before its time in scientific Hso perhaps we should not be terms: although Avogadro enunciated so surprised by the current sustained his eponymous principle in 1811, during attack by sceptical groups. But it is Hahnemann’s lifetime, there is no worth reflecting on the recent history evidence that Hahnemann knew of it. to see what we can learn. The current In any case its value was not calculated series of attacks can be traced to until 1876, by Loschmidt. The result the lead story of The Times on 24 is that homeopathy remains in its August 2005 “Prince plots alternative scientific infancy. treatments for the NHS”. But the last few years have seen This story was based on a leak of the Sir Michael Peat, the Prince of Wales’ a series of developments which may Smallwood report* by Prof Edzard Ernst. Principal Private Secretary, wrote to eventually put to bed the criticism that Christopher Smallwood had previously the vice chancellor of Exeter University “it doesn’t work because it can’t work”: been an economics adviser to Barclays protesting at the leak, and the university that it is impossible for the very high Bank and subsequently chairman conducted an investigation. Ernst’s dilutions often used in homeopathy of St George’s University Hospitals position became untenable, funding for to have any biological effect. A range NHS Foundation Trust and other NHS his department dried up and he took of methods agree that succussion organisations. Interestingly in the early retirement. Thirteen years later he generates nanoparticles, micro-cavities context he had also been a member remains sore; in his latest book More and very high, but very localised of the Competition Commission. Harm than Good? he attacks the Prince and very transient temperatures and Smallwood was commissioned by the of Wales as “foolish and immoral”. pressures and that these in turn have Prince of Wales to prepare a report to Moving the goalposts structural effects on water. Twelve “take a fresh and independent look at independent research labs have the contribution which complementary I sometimes wonder why do they hate reported that homeopathic medicines therapies can potentially make to us so much? Why the wilful ignorance contain nanostructures, including of the mantra “there is no evidence for healthcare in the UK”. source material, silica nanoparticles homeopathy”? But certain respected The Smallwood report and gas. This does not prove that bodies have gone beyond simply homeopathy works, it does refute The conclusions of the Smallwood ignoring the evidence to actively the argument that it “does not work report were tentative but positive for distorting it. High profile reviews and because it cannot work” since it provides complementary medicine. They meta-analyses including that of Shang a potential mechanism of action. included the suggestion that CAM et al published in The Lancet in 2005, We must remain united, determined therapies might have an important which appeared almost simultaneously contribution to make for “effectiveness with The Times story (it is hard to and committed to science. gap” conditions (I am proud to have believe that was a coincidence), and Dr Peter Fisher minted the term “effectiveness gap”). the 2015 Australian NHMRC report have * www.magonia.com/files/smallwood- And that CAM treatments might have “dredged the data”. report.pdf the potential to make direct cost savings Data dredging is the inadmissible for the NHS or to deliver additional practice of selecting, post-hoc, a subset benefit to patients in a cost-effective of data to deliver a desired outcome. It way. The main recommendation of the is the scientific equivalent of moving report was that additional funds should the goalposts while the game is in be made available for research into the progress and the home side losing! Editor: John Burry cost effectiveness of complementary Shang et al and the NHMRC excluded Consultant Editor: Greg White medicine. 93% and 97% respectively of the A prepublication draft was circulated randomised clinical trial data. The effect Faculty of Homeopathy for comment with prominent warnings of excluding such a large proportion of CAN Mezzanine , 49-51 East Road that it was confidential and not to be the data was a negative conclusion. The London, N1 6AH Tel: 020 3640 5903 shared more widely (I can personally authors of both reports had previously E: [email protected] vouch for this, since I was one of those conducted more comprehensive W: www.facultyofhomeopathy.org asked to comment). Regrettably, Prof reviews whose results they have not All the material in this publication is copyright Ernst did precisely this, leaking it to revealed. This strongly suggests that and may not be reproduced without permission. The Times who used it as the basis they were aware that a fuller review The publishers do not necessarily identify with or hold themselves responsible for contributors’, of their lead story. The editor of The of the clinical evidence would have correspondents’ or advertisers’ opinions. Lancet, Richard Horton, certainly resulted in more positive conclusions. no friend of homeopathy, promptly Design: HMCA Services Scientific progress denounced Ernst for having “broken Printing: HMCA Services every professional code of scientific We must not allow such attacks to [email protected] behaviour”. cause us to retreat from science into 2 NEWS simile • February 2018 • The Faculty of Homeopathy NHS England faces legal challenge to its ‘fundamentally flawed’ consultation NHS England’s consultation that treatment because they have failed to consultation was not a genuine attempt resulted in the recommendation respond to conventional drugs or have to engage with patients, with NHS that homeopathy should not be suffered serious side-effects.” England appearing to have already routinely prescribed in primary care He also said it is surprising that a taken the decision to deprive patients is being challenged in the courts. review of individual medicines should of homeopathic